Package



J. FRANCK 34(5454'4 PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 2, 1969 Filed Jan. 26, 1968 1 I I I l l l I l Il J. FRANCK Sept. 2, 1969 PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1968 Unite ,i

U.S. Cl. 206-78 13 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A package having a card defining elongated channels and a cover having fianges disposed in the channels. Portions of the card adjacent the channels are provided with a slit and the iianges have outwardly extending projections. Sections of the card defined by the slit are deformable so that the projections of the fianges are engaged by the deformed sections to limit relative movements between the cover and the card. This enables partial opening of the card so articles stored in the package can be removed one by one. The slits and the projections on the flanges can also be arranged to prevent relative movements between the cover and the card to lock articles in the package.

BACKGROUND OP THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to packaging devices and more particularly to a package in which relative movements between members comprising the package are limited to prevent accidental loss of articles stored in the package.

State of the prior art There is, at the present, a great need for so-called blister or bubble packages in merchandising. Generally speaking, these packages have a cardboard base and, secured thereto, a bubble constructed of a thermoplastic material. An article is contained within the bubble and is sold as a unit with the package.

These packages are attractive, the cardboard base can be given purchase-inducing colors and descriptions, the purchaser can inspect the article, and at the same time the packages are a helpful tool in reducing pilferage. In the prior art it was customary to bond the bubble to the cardboard base. Although the joint is secure, the package is generally disliked because it is difficult to open. Frequently it requires a hard and sharp object, such as a knife, to open it.

In the more recent past, blister packages have become known which are easy to open. Such a package is illustrated in U.S. Patent 3,104,759. In that patent ends of a sheet of cardboard are folded and bonded to a center portion of the sheet. The ends together with the center portion define elongated channels into which fianges of the blister are slidably inserted. Essentially, the blister is secured to the folded card by frictional forces developed between the blister and the card, Thus, if the package is positioned so that the channels are in a vertical position, a heavy article placed inside the blister can slide the blister downwardly. The blister and the card can become disengaged and the article might be lost or damaged. In addition, this package does not effectively prevent pilferage since it is easily opened and the article therein can be `removed without any difficulty.

Attempts have also been made to prevent unintentional separation of the bubble and the card without permanently securing the two to each other. An illustration of such an attempt is in U.S. Patent 2,975,889 which provides a liap secured to the card and disposed interiorly of the blister. This iiap prevents the unintentional States Patent O ice separation of the blister and the card by preventing unintentional movement of the two in one direction. Nevertheless, any article stored therein is easily lost if the two are moved in the other direction since the flap does not provide resistance against such movement. In addition, the iiap requires a substantially greater amount of assembly work as well as more material to construct it. The package is therefore relatively expensive to manufacture.

There is, therefore at present a need for a package which combines the advantages of conventional blister packages with a security device to prevent the unintentional separation of the blister from the supporting card. In addition, there is a need for a package having a dispensing feature permitting the removal of articles from the package without completely separating the cover from the blister.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides apparatus for packing articles in blister or bubble packages. Briefly, it includes a card defining a pair of laterally spaced narrow channels which has a slit through portions of the card defining sides of the channel. The slits are spaced from an open end of the channel and have a configuration so that a section of said portion of the ,card adjacent the slit can be deiiected out of alignment with the remainder of said portion of the card. A cover is adapted to be placed over the article and has a pair of flanges disposed in the channels. At least one of the fianges includes a projection extending away from the cover. The projection is adapted to engage said deiiectable section of the card to thereby limit relative movements between the cover and the card.

Preferably, the slit is channel-shaped, such as U- or V- shaped. The slit is positioned according to the particular need. If it is to substantially immovably retain the card and the cover it is placed between a pair of projections on the flange of the cover and is given a width substantially equal to that of a recess defined by two adjacent projections on the iianges of the card. If, on the other hand, the package is used for dispensing articles, the slit is placed some distance away from the projection to allow relative axial movement between the cover and the card parallel to the channels. The defiected section of the card defined by the slit limits the relative movement between cover and the card after-providing an opening sufficient to permit removal of only one of the articles stored therein.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention portions of the card defining the channels also include an elongated depression extending over substantially the full length of the channel. These depressions widen the channel defined by the card and facilitate the ease with which the cover is inserted in the channels and slidably moved relative to the card. The depressions prevent the relatively flexible iianges from becoming hung-up on edges of the card since the portions of the card defining the channel are now spaced apart and must not be spread -by the entering iianges of the cover. If a firmer grip between the card and the cover is desired, the depressions may be positioned to engage the flanges of the card when they are inserted in the channels.

Bubble packages constructed in accordance with this invention are manufactured at a cost which substantially equals the cost of prior art packages. At the same time they incorporate the highly desirable locking or dispensing feature at practically no additional cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a plan view of a blister package constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l

FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to FIG. l showing another preferred embodiment of this invention and, in phantom lines, the relative position of parts of the package while they are in a dispensing position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF' THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. l and 2 show a blister package 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention. The package includes a -base card 12, preferably constructed of cardboard or a similar material, and a cover 14 defining a blister 16 and having a configuration enabling its placement over an article (not shown) to be stored in the package. The cover, which is preferably constructed of a thermoplastic material, includes outwardly extending anges 18 which are disposed in elongated, narrow, and substantially parallel channels 20 of the card.

Although the card 12 may be constructed in any convenient manner, in a presently preferred embodiment it is constructed of a single, flat sheet of cardboard which is folded adjacent its ends to define end portions 22 and a center portion 24. The portions are bonded to each other at 26 with a suitable bonding agent whereby they define the channels 20. Adjacent their inner ends 28 the end portions 22 are preferably provided with an elongated, depressed score line 30 to space the end portions adjacent end 28 apart from center portion 24. It is presently preferred that the score lines be spaced from ends 28 so that they do not contact iianges 18. The score lines project toward the center portion of the card to give channels 20 a width about equal to the thickness of the flanges of the cover.

A channel-shaped slit 32, best seen in FIG. 1, is die-cut through the center portion and end portion 22 at a suitable location, say adjacent the center of the card. The slit is positioned to align an open end 34 thereof with a longitudinal axis of the adjacent channel. Sections 36 of the portions 22 and 24 defined by the slit 32 can now be deected out of alignment with the portions as shown in the right hand part of FIG. 2. When so deected the continuity of channels 22 adjacent the slits is interrupted.

The anges 18 of the cover 14 include outwardly extending projections 38. The projections are of a sufficient length to engage the deected sections 36 if the cover is moved relative to the card.

In one embodiment of this invention, shown in FIGS. l and 2, the cover is provided with a pair of projections 38 adjacent each end of the cover and adjacent each flange. The projections extend away from the blister 16 to adjacent the slits 32 and terminate there. They define a recess 40 between adjacent pairs of projections 38. When the cover and the card are aligned the recesses 40 are in alignment with the slit 32. Sections 36 are deflected out of alignment with the remainder of the card to retain the cover in a fixed position relative to the card. To facilitate the ease with which the cover is locked to the card the recess has a width slightly greater than the length of the open end 34 to enable the deflection of sections 36.

To remove the article (not shown) stored inside blister 16 the deflected sections 36 must first be aligned with the remainder of the card. Accidental loss of the article stored inside the blister from unintentional relative movements between the cover and the card is thereby prevented. This arrangement has the advantage, particularly when compared to prior art packages as, for example, those shown in the above referred to patents, that the card can be manufactured from a simple rectangular 4 sheet of material. The absence of complicated cuts and projections permits full utilization of all material, simplifies the manufacturing process, and reduces the cost of the packages.

The open end 34 of the slit 32 is parallel to the relative movement between the cover 14 and the card 12. This arrangement is advantageous and -best utilized when the cover includes pairs of projections 38 which deiine recesses 40. The length of the open end 34, or the spacing of the legs of the U-shaped slit 32, can be closely controlled and the recesses 40 can be given a width such that relative movements between the cover and the cards are minimal and substantially nonexistent.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, another embodiment of the blister package 10 is illustrated. It too includes a card 12 which, however, is folded about its edge 42 to define an upper and a lower sheet 44 and 46. The upper sheet also denes a cross member 48 which limits the relative movements between the cover 14 and the card 12 in one direction. The upper and the lower sheets 44 and 46 define channels 50 which receive flanges 52 of the cover 14. At least one of the sheets, say the upper sheet 44, includes depressed score lines 54 adjacent inner edges 56. The score lines may be positioned as score lines 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or they may be placed to engage all or a portion of the flanges of the cover. See FIG. 5. The score lines then subject the cover to an additional holding force which is desirable when the article (not shown) contained in the package is relatively heavy and the cover and the card are permitted to move relative to each other a limited amount as described below. The sheets 44 and 46 include channel-shaped slits 58 which have their open end 60 positioned transversely to the axis of the flange receiving channels 50. A section 62 of the sheets defined by the slit 58 can be deflected out of alignment with the sheets substantially as described above.

The flanges 52 of the cover include an outwardly extending projection 64 which projects past the slit 58 and which is engaged by the deliected sections 62 when the cover is moved relative to the card. An engaging edge 66 of the projection 64 and the slit are positioned so that they enable a limited relative movement between the cover and the card. In a first limiting position the cover and the card are aligned with each other and they securely retain the article (not shown) inside the blister 16. If the two are moved into a second limiting position, shown in FIG. 3 in phantom lines, the articles stored inside the blister can be removed therefrom piece by piece. Thus, the package acts as an automatic dispensing package and prevents unintentional separation of the cover from the card.

The open end 60 of the lslit S8 is positioned transversely to the relative movement between the cover and the card. This has the advantage that the sections 62 can be deected simultaneously with the stamping or die-cutting of the slit 58. When Ithe cover is inserted la forward end of the projection 64 engages the deflected section 62 of the upper sheet 44 and brings it into substantial alignment with the upper sheet until the engaging edge 66 of the projection has passed the deflected section. Thereafter the section `62 returns to its deflected position by virtue of its resiliency. A reversal in the direction of the relative movements between the card and the cover causes the edge 66 to engage the deflected section 62 and thereby limit that movement.

Referring to FIG. 5, it is sometimes necessary to reduce fthe size of the blister 16 relative to the lateral spacing of the inner edges 56 of card 12. This might be dictated by economic considerations to use identical cards for packing articles of different sizes, by packaging requirements when the article must `be securely held by the blister to prevent it from shaking, or simply by aesthetic considerations. A reduced blister size, however, permits the cover to move transversely relative to the card. This is frequently undesirable and may even cause one of the flanges 52 of the cover .to become disengaged from its corresponding channel 50. To prevent such transverse movement the flanges `are preferably provided with a raised portion 68 intermediate the blister 16 and .the inner edges 56 of the cards. The raised portion is positioned adjacent one or each inner edge and engages the adjacent end if the cover is moved relative to the card transversely to channels 50. The raised portion additionally `functions as a guide and prevents wedging of the cover in the channel.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packing an article comprising:

(a) a card including upper and lower sheets secured to each other and defining a pair of substantially parallel, spaced-apart channels, at least one of the sheets including an elongate, depressed score line extending parallel to the channels and engaging the opposing sheet, and

|(b) a cover including a blister adapted to cover the article and having a configuration to be disposed between the channels, the cover further including lianges extending away from the blister and into said channels;

wherein a portion of the sheets adjacent at least one of the channels includes a channel-shaped slit extending through both sheets and permitting deflection of a section of the sheets out of alignment with a remainder thereof, the slit being disposed so that the deflection of said section limits relative movements between the cover and the card.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the score lines are laterally spaced from the anges of the cover.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the score lines engage a portion of the cover.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a projection on at least one of said flanges, the projection cooperating with the slit to limit relative movements between the cover and the card.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the projection and the slit have a configuration to prevent substantially all of said movements in a direction parallel to the channels.

6. Apparatus according -to claim 4 wherein the card and the cover have a configuration and cooperate to provide full enclosure of the article when the cover and the card are in first limiting position and the 4article is removable from the card and the cover when they are in a second limiting position defined by the slit and the projection.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 including an elongated raised portion in the flanges and disposed adjacent the channels for limiting relative movements between the cover and the card in directions transverse to Ithe channels.

8. Apparatus for packing an article comprising:

(a) a card defining a pair of laterally spaced narrow channels and having a channel-shaped slit through a portion of the card defining sides of the channel so that a section of said portion defined by the slit can be deliected out of alignment with the portion,

an open end of the channel shaped slit facing in the direction in which the cover moves relative to the card, .the card further having a transverse member intermediate the channels; and

(b) a cover adapted to be placed over the article, having a pair of flanges disposed in Ithe channels and a projection on at least one of the flanges extending away from the cover, the projection being adapted to engage said deectable section of the card to thereby limit relative movements between the cover andthe card in one direction, the cover being further formed to engage the transverse ymember to limit relative movements between the cover and the card in lthe opposite direction.

9. Apparatus according to claim `8 wherein the slit and the projection are arranged to enable at least partial uncovering of the packed article so that the article is removable from the apparatus while .the projection engages said deflected section.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 including an elongated depression formed in at least one of said portions defining the sides of the channel, the depression extending over substantially the full length of the channel.

11. Apparatus for packing an article comprising:

(a) a card defining a pair of laterally spaced narrow channels and having a channel-shaped slit through a portion of the card defining sides of the channel so that a section of said portion defined by the slit can be deflected out of align-ment with the portion, an open end of the channel-shaped slit facing transversely to Ithe direction in which the cover moves relative to the card; and

(b) a cover adapted to be placed over the article, having a pair of iianges disposed in the channels for slidable movement of the cover in the channels in opposite directions, and a recess in at least one of the flanges, the deliectable section being positioned in the recess for engagement with the anges of the card to thereby limit relative lmovements between the cover and the card in both directions.

12. Apparatus according 'to claim 11 wherein said recess has a width slightly greater than a length of said open end whereby relative ymovements between the cover and the card are substantially prevented when said section is deflected.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 including an elongated depression formed in at least one of said portions `defining the sides of the channel, the depression extending over substantially the full length of the channel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,796,985 `6/ 1957 Gorton 206--78 2,993,590 7/ 1961 Denton. 1,253,489 11/ 1918 Houghland 229-9 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner I. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner 

